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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · sharp · patient · hand · bank · swing · bore · chip

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chip — for betting
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hand — help
  19. bank — of a river
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to drill
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com